June saw a wave of cybersecurity companies land funding, like Silent Push and CalypsoAI, but some consumer-focused startups still managed to squeeze water from the stone in these conservative venture capital times.
Arlington-based catering startup Hungry announced June 21 it raised $10 million in a series C1 round, pushing its lifetime funding to $60 million. The company, which connects chefs with catering clients through an online marketplace, boasts new and existing athlete and celebrity investors like Anfernee Simons of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, Roquan Smith of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Kevin Hart, Usher and Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners, plus institutional investors such as Sands Capital Ventures, Motley Fool Ventures, Evolution VC Partners and GP Ventures.
The series C1 was led by Robert Hisaoka, chairman and CEO of McLean-based RGH Capital, himself an early Hungry investor. The company, which claims a valuation of $270 million, plans to use the newest funds to build out its carbon neutral delivery initiative and continue expanding its markets beyond its existing baker's dozen.
Giftory is a D.C.-based retail startup that is commodifying the adage: buy experiences, not things. The company, which allows users to gift high-end experiences like exotic car driving and culinary classes with celebrity chefs and city cruises, announced June 1 it raised $10 million. The round was led by the French venture firm Otium Capital.
As for cyber firms, in addition to Silent Push ($10 million) and CalypsoAI ($23 million), Alexandria's SpecterOps announced June 8 it had raised $28.7 million from 16 equity investors, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company performs cyber threat intelligence by identifying and plugging holes in a client's network. Additional details about that raise were not immediately available.
